IAOPA Resolutions
RESOLUTION 24/1
Gratitude for Sponsors and Supporters
Whereas:
the Hellas Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association has graciously hosted the 24th World Assembly of the International Council of Aircraft Owner and Pilot Associations (IAOPA) in Athens, Greece; and
Whereas:
the leadership and staff of AOPA Hellas have given generously of their time and talents to make this Assembly a success, and have extended their warm friendship and hospitality to the delegates and guests; and
Whereas:
a number of organizations have generously sponsored the Assembly and its special events; therefore
Whereas:
the delegates assembled wish to express their sincere appreciation to these persons and organizations; therefore
IAOPA, at its 24th World Assembly, resolves:
to extend its appreciation to the following individuals and organizations for their excellent services and sponsorship:
- Yiouli Kalafati, President AOPA Hellas
- Marina Zompanaki, AOPA Hellas World Assembly Coordinator
- Billy Costas, AOPA Hellas Treasurer
- AOPA Hellas volunteers
- Hellenic Ministry of Transportation and Communications
- Hellenic Ministry of Tourism
- Hellenic Civil Aviation Administration
- Hellenic Air Force
- AirBP
- Aegean Airlines
- Olympic Airways Services
- Athens International Airport
RESOLUTION NUMBER 24/2
Gratitude for International, Government and Industry Support
Whereas:
representatives from a number of international, regional, national and industry organizations have participated in the 24th World Assembly of the International Council of Aircraft Owner and Pilot Associations, providing a significant contribution to the success of the Assembly; and
Whereas:
the delegates assembled wish to express their sincere appreciation to all of the representatives who participated in the Assembly; therefore
IAOPA, at its 24th World Assembly, resolves:
to thank the following representatives for their insight, support and participation:
- I. Andrianopoulos, Governor of Hellas CAA
- Daniel Calleja, Director Air Transport – European Commission
- Patrick Goudou, Executive Director – EASA
- Nancy Graham, Director ICAO Air Navigation Bureau
- K. Hatzidakis, Hellenic Minister of Transportation and Communication
- Anton Koutsoudakis, Director Flight Standards, Hellenic CAA
- David McMillan, Eurocontrol Director General
- Jyrki Paajanen, European Commission Air Transport Directorate Administrator of Air Traffic Management
- Gustav Real, Real Audit Principal
- Antonis Simigdalas, Chief Operating Officer – Aegean Airlines, ERA President
- Karsten Theil, ICAO European Regional Director
- G. Zografakis, Egnatia Aviation, JAA FTO
RESOLUTION NUMBER 24/3
Standardizing Airspace Classifications
Whereas:
general aviation needs two essential resources (other than money) with which to operate: aerodromes and airspace. A persistent threat concerning airspace access plagues general aviation, especially those operating under visual flight rules (VFR). This is the random, unplanned and non-standardized placement of tightly controlled airspace in areas frequented by general aviation, generally areas not requiring a high degree of control; and
Whereas:
little guidance is provided to States regarding airspace design and justification. The result is that airspace segments are designated at the whim of the regulatory authority, yielding little standardization among States, even contiguous ones; and
Whereas:
enroute navigation while avoiding restrictive airspace makes VFR operations increasingly complex. This complexity aggravates a number of other potential hazards: marginal weather, dwindling fuel, rising terrain and apprehensiveness about a possible airspace violation all conspire to increase risk and reduce safety for the VFR pilot; and
Whereas:
little or no consistency in airspace standardization exists from one State to another, especially with regard to the airspace above 3,000 feet AGL or within terminal areas. One State’s Class D airspace becomes another’s Class C or another’s Class B. Since many States erroneously equate a high degree of air traffic control with safety, much airspace is over-classified; therefore
IAOPA, at its 24th World Assembly, resolves:
to urge ICAO, State and military regulatory authorities responsible for classifying airspace to:
- classify airspace at the lowest possible level commensurate with the type of operations conducted
- involve stakeholders and use their input when developing airspace classification policies, standards and locations
- coordinate airspace classification policy with nearby States and regional groups
- design airspace using risk assessment and cost benefit analysis techniques.
RESOLUTION NUMBER 24/4
Rationalizing ANSP and Aerodrome Fees
Whereas:
air navigation services providers and aerodrome operators charge individual aircraft operators for services throughout most the world. These charges are not always subject to adequate controls and consultation with users prior to implementation, and
Whereas:
many of the expenses that support these charges are not often fully disclosed, especially administrative and overhead charges, making it difficult to determine actual costs of service provided, and
Whereas:
cost vs. benefit analyses used to determine the validity of charges for various categories of users are not always employed nor are analyses conducted for all user categories involved in fee proposals. Without these analyses it is difficult to determine whether proposed fees are properly allocated among user categories, and
Whereas:
even though ICAO guidelines require service providers to consult with users prior to imposing new or altering existing charges, some providers neglect or abbreviate this important step. Further, if the consultation fails to achieve a provider/user consensus formal and effective means of redress for disputed charges/fees are not always available to users, and
Whereas:
access to airspace and aerodromes for general aviation operators is a safety issue. Economic constraints should not be considered as a primary determinant for a pilot to safely plan, execute and complete any flight. Adverse or rapidly changing weather, aircraft operational limitations and pilot experience levels are constant concerns for operators of light general aviation aircraft. The ability to fully utilize all available services once a flight has begun is a critical element in promoting a safe operating environment for the general aviation pilot. Costly fees for services should not act as constraints to effective pilot decision-making during flight, and
Whereas:
ICAO and States should continue to heed and follow paragraph 41viii of Doc 9082, “The charges levied on international general aviation should be assessed in a reasonable manner, having regard to the cost of the facilities needed and used and the goal of promoting the sound development of international civil aviation as a whole”; therefore
IAOPA, at its 24th World Assembly, resolves:
to urge the appropriate regulatory authorities to require air navigation service providers and airport operators to:
- fully disclose the financial components of proposed projects or added charges.
- prepare and publish a segmented cost-benefit analysis for each project/charging scheme. The segmentation is required to evaluate the effect and efficacy of charges/fees on each segment of the user community.
- provide a formal and effective means of redress for disputed charges/fees should be available and clearly spelled out in any proposal.
- charge users only for services actually required and received.
- and, consult all user groups regarding changes to existing charges.
RESOLUTION NUMBER 24/5
Philippines CAA Consideration of Past IAOPA Resolutions
Whereas:
the government of the Philippines has established a new Civil Aviation Authority to assume the regulation of civil aviation, including general aviation; and
Whereas:
the Philippines CAA has put out for comment a new body of Civil Aviation Regulations (CAR), with a deadline for comment by the end of June, which will supplant the existing body of regulations; therefore
IAOPA, at its 24th World Assembly, resolves:
to support the efforts of AOPA-Philippines in urging the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) to take into consideration current and past World Assembly resolutions as may be applicable to the adoption of regulations to govern general aviation.
RESOLUTION NUMBER 24/6
Emergency Locator Transmitter Alternatives
Whereas:
Emergency Locator Transmitters have not shown themselves to activate properly in many instances, and;
Whereas:
other and potentially superior technology for alerting and locating of aircraft in distress is either in place now or in development; therefore
IAOPA, at its 24th World Assembly, resolves:
to urge international and national authorities to implement regulations regarding aircraft in distress that permit affordable and practical alternatives to Emergency Locator Transmitters for general aviation, including devices and/or monitoring systems that do not have to survive a crash in order to provide a reasonable alerting and locating function, and
to permit aircraft owners to select an alerting and locating option that is appropriate for their type and area of operations.
RESOLUTION NUMBER 24/7
Need for Meaningful General Aviation Data
Whereas:
rules developed for commercial air transport are not necessarily appropriate for general aviation; and
Whereas:
IAOPA Europe has been successful in convincing the European Commission to recognize the need for proportionality across Rules and Regulations; and
Whereas:
IAOPA represents a broad range of GA aircraft operations including recreational, personal transportation, historic aircraft, etc; and
Whereas:
international general aviation frequently does not have sufficient official data available to it concerning its status and level of operations to adequately support its needs and desires; therefore
IAOPA, at its 24th World Assembly, resolves:
that the State regulatory authorities, including European Commission, should encourage the collection and publication of meaningful data so that in the future proportionality decisions can be reached more readily.
RESOLUTION NUMBER 24/8
Russian Government Considerations for General Aviation
Whereas:
the World Assembly has noted the intention of the Russian Government to invest in developing infrastructure for general aviation; and
Whereas:
general aviation hours (excluding business aviation) in Russia has been growing substantially in recent years; therefore
IAOPA, at its 24th World Assembly, resolves:
- to express deep satisfaction with the positive developments in the field of General Aviation in Russia.
- to offer cooperation and support from IAOPA during the rule-making process in Russia.
- to stress that public investment into airport infrastructure should be accompanied by specific assurances of equal access for all users to the airport infrastructure.
RESOLUTION NUMBER 24/9
Security and Handling Requirements for General Aviation
Whereas:
general aviation aircraft operators are often unnecessarily subjected to the same level of security as commercial air transport; and
Whereas:
full terminal facilities are not required by general aviation operators; and
Whereas:
mandatory handling facilities designed to facilitate security processes are not required for general aviation operators; therefore
IAOPA, at its 24th World Assembly, resolves:
that national security and aerodrome authorities are urged to:
- ensure general aviation aircraft are parked in non-security restricted areas on aerodromes.
- provide access to general aviation aircraft through non-security sensitive perimeter access points.
- abolish mandatory handling requirements for general aviation aircraft.
- if mandatory handling is required, the cost of such handling should not be passed onto the general aviation operator.
- absorb or otherwise fund the cost of handling charges if mandatory handling cannot be eliminated.
RESOLUTION NUMBER 23/1
Gratitude for Sponsors and Supporters
Whereas:
The Canadian Owners and Pilots Association (COPA) has graciously hosted the 23rd World Assembly of the International Council of Aircraft Owner and Pilot Associations (IAOPA) in Toronto, Ontario, Canada; and
Whereas:
the leadership and staff members of COPA, including President Kevin Psutka, Manager Finance & Administration, Jane Guertin, Denis Guertin, and the other members of the COPA staff, who have given generously of their time and talents to make this Assembly a success, and have extended their warm friendship and hospitality to the delegates and guests; and
Whereas:
the leadership and staff members of the Canadian Aviation Expo, including Show Manager Stephen Wilcox, Mary Wilcox, Dorothy Thompson, Steve Nichols, and John Green, and the other staff members of Canadian Aviation Expo have worked in conjunction with COPA to bring the 23rd World Assembly to Toronto; and
Whereas:
the delegates assembled wish to express their sincere appreciation to these persons and entities; therefore
IAOPA, at its 23rd World Assembly, resolves:
to extend its deepest gratitude to all of the dedicated COPA, and Canadian Aviation Expo personnel for their work in hosting the Assembly; and to express its appreciation to the following organizations and individuals for their sponsorship and services:
- City of Oshawa
- Edmonton Airport
- Cirrus Design
- Marsh Canada
- Breitling
- Crossflow Aero Corp.
- Lift Capital Corporation
- Aviation World
- Bruce Landsberg, AOPA Air Safety Foundation
- Andy Cebula, AOPA
- Randy Kenagy, AOPA
RESOLUTION NUMBER 23/2
Gratitude for International, Government and Industry Support
Whereas:
A representative from the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), and several government and aviation industry representatives have participated in the 23rd World Assembly of the International Council of Aircraft Owner and Pilot Associations; and
Whereas:
the delegates assembled wish to express their sincere appreciation to all of the representatives who participated in the Assembly; therefore
IAOPA, at its 23rd World Assembly, resolves:
to thank the following representatives their support and participation:
- William Voss, ICAO Director of the Air Navigation Bureau
- Franz Reinhardt, Director, Civil Aviation Regulatory Services, Transport Canada
- Derek Sifton, Buttonville Airport, Toronto
- Glenn Priestley, ATAC
RESOLUTION NUMBER 23/3
Preserving and Protecting Aerodromes
Whereas:
Aerodromes are an essential resource for the operation of general aviation aircraft in all States. Moreover, general aviation operations form an integral part of a State's transportation infrastructure; and
Whereas:
the number of aerodromes in all States has diminished significantly in recent years, particularly in States that host substantial amounts of general aviation activity. This is due in large part to increases in the value of land, especially in and near large metropolitan areas. As the value of the land increases it becomes quite attractive to commercial developers whose land acquisition resources easily exceed those of the general aviation community, and
Whereas:
aerodromes form an integral part of the State's transportation system and must be considered a valuable resource for all citizens, not just a small segment of commercial interests. Other essential resources such as parks and recreational areas, historic buildings, and transportation terminals are protected by the State in trust for the overall population; therefore,
IAOPA, at its 23rd World Assembly, resolves:
to urge States and responsible authorities to:
- recognize the value of general aviation aerodromes as an essential part of their transportation infrastructure; and
- develop and enforce national and local land use policies and statutes designed to preserve and protect aerodromes.
RESOLUTION NUMBER 23/4
Security Measures for General Aviation
Whereas:
States have imposed security measures on general aviation that include:
- Costly and lengthy background checks for pilots
- Complex access restrictions to airports and aircraft
- Lengthy and involved preflight operational security procedures
- Numerous and extensive airspace restrictions
- Restrictions to flight training activities; and
Whereas:
many of these measures have been imposed without benefit of an assessment of the potential threat involved or the impact on pilots, aircraft owners or airport operators. Furthermore, the value of these restrictions is rarely evaluated for effectiveness; and
Whereas:
virtually no evidence exists regarding any significant threat from the use of general aviation aircraft for terrorist activities; and
Whereas:
little recognition has been given by States and security agencies regarding the effective voluntary security measures initiated by pilots, aircraft owners, and airport operators; and
Whereas:
many of these measures have imposed significant economic constraints on general aviation activities; therefore
IAOPA, at its 23rd World Assembly, resolves:
to urge ICAO, States and responsible authorities to:
- conduct threat analyses prior to imposing security restrictions on general aviation activities
- continually evaluate the effectiveness of security measures
- consider the operational and financial impact on general aviation activities prior to initiating security measures
- recognize the value of voluntary security measures used by pilots, aircraft owners, and airport operators.
RESOLUTION NUMBER 23/5
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
Whereas:
The proliferation of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) in both the civil and military sectors and their wide range of potential applications have captured the interest of the aeronautical world. Hundreds of UAV projects worldwide have emerged within the past few years, often outstripping the ability of national authorities to fully regulate and cope with the unique operational capabilities and requirements embodied in the concept. More importantly, the anticipated growth rate of this segment of aviation creates a pressing need for ICAO to address the issue and generate standards and recommended practices designed to ensure the safety of all aeronautical activities. This is an urgent requirement; and
Whereas:
general aviation is especially impacted by the UAV revolution since many of its operations occur in the low altitude airspace structure. The see-and-avoid principle is the primary and often only means of separating aircraft in low altitude and remote environments; it requires the active attention of pilots in both aircraft to effectively ensure separation. Without the vigilance of both parties the possibility of a collision increases dramatically; and
Whereas:
while segregating UAV and manned aircraft operations offers a measure of mutual protection, two issues emerge: is the UAV system sufficiently reliable to remain within its assigned airspace and will UAV airspace deny operational areas to manned aircraft? The latter issue is of great importance to the general aviation community that constantly faces the erosion of available airspace in the name of military, national security, and commercial aviation "necessity;" therefore,
IAOPA, at its 23rd World Assembly, resolves:
that ICAO develop, and its member States adopt uniform standards and recommended practices addressing UAV issues including the following:
- system reliability and safety
- temporary or permanent airspace restrictions that restrict general aviation
- sense and avoid standards
- operational control
- operator qualifications, proficiency and liability
- coordination with conventional aeronautical activities
- abnormal operations (failure modes)
- recognition of UAVs as aircraft, meeting the same standards as other aircraft and aircrew; this will minimize airspace restrictions and safety impact on general aviation.
RESOLUTION NUMBER 23/6
Environmentally Friendly Fuels
Whereas:
Atmospheric pollution is a worldwide issue of concern; and
Whereas:
the automobile industry is already implementing new fuel mixtures as a means to reduce exhaust gas emissions; and
Whereas:
the aviation industry is developing engine technologies designed to reduce emissions; and
Whereas:
there are different aviation fuels worldwide; therefore,
IAOPA, at its 23rd World Assembly, resolves:
that although general aviation aircraft engine exhaust emissions on atmospheric pollution are minimal, IAOPA strongly supports the enhanced production of aviation gasoline and jet fuel containing environmentally friendly materials of biological origin that will meet aviation fuel standards.
RESOLUTION NUMBER 23/7
Pilot License Validation
Whereas:
National regulations used to validate a pilot's license in another country differs greatly; and
Whereas:
these procedures are often costly, complicated, and time consuming; and
Whereas:
effectively creates different licenses and undermines harmonization among ICAO member States; and
Whereas:
validation requirements impede the free movement of general aviation activities between States; and
Whereas:
the standards governing the knowledge, experience and skills of pilots certified by ICAO member States are comparable; and
Whereas:
security concerns have placed additional constraints and requirements upon the validation of pilot licenses; and
Whereas:
the validation of a pilots license should be facilitated and coordinated within the ICAO member State; therefore
IAOPA, at its 23rd World Assembly, resolves:
to encourage States to streamline government administrative and security processes that will facilitate the validation of foreign pilot licenses.
RESOLUTION NUMBER 23/8
Recognition of General Aviation Taxes Paid
Whereas:
There is growing public concern for the environment; and
Whereas:
governments are increasingly looking at the polluter-must-pay-principle; and
Whereas:
the worldwide production of Avgas equals 1.6 million tonnes or 0.5% of automobile fuel; and
Whereas:
the environmental impact of general aviation's activity is tiny in comparison to other modes of road and air transport; and
Whereas:
general aviation pays taxes on fuel purchases and other services in most States; therefore
IAOPA, at its 23rd World Assembly, resolves:
that States should give due recognition to the fact that general aviation users already pay for it's environmental impact through the burden of taxation and/or fees.
RESOLUTION NUMBER 23/9
Aviation Fuel Availability at Aerodromes
Whereas:
aerodromes are an essential resource for the operation of general aviation aircraft, but aerodromes without fueling facilities greatly limit their value to users; and
Whereas:
the continuing worldwide reduction of aerodromes worldwide has greatly restricted the utility of general aviation operations and their ability to serve communities, States and regions; and
Whereas:
an increasing number of remaining aerodromes are left without fueling facilities due to government and environmental restrictions, further reducing the aerodrome's value to general aviation interests; and
Whereas:
other States have efficiently managed their aeronautical spectrum resources without having to go to 8.33 kHz spacing; and
Whereas:
many aerodromes are owned by governments for use by the general public but are operated by private companies; therefore
IAOPA, at its 23rd World Assembly, resolves:
to urge governments and public authorities to:
- require private companies authorized to operate government-owned public use aerodromes to provide general aviation fueling facilities.
- develop and enforce policies that will simplify regulatory and procedural requirements to provide fuel at aerodromes serving general aviation operations.
